


Meetings, Cute and Otherwise

by jouissant



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chance Meetings, First Meetings, M/M, Past Drug Addiction, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 02:19:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2212083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jouissant/pseuds/jouissant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr AU prompts and other Pinto bits and pieces, to be added to as necessary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prompt: Zach and Chris meet at a support group for recovering narcotics addicts

Zach fits and refits his hands around a steaming cup of coffee. It’s just this side of painful and he has to keep shuffling it around and around so he doesn’t scald his palms, but he can’t stop fidgeting. That’s what he does now; he fidgets. It’s like there’s some vast wellspring of excess energy inside him. He can run and he can rage and he can wring what feels like every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears out of his body and still there’ll be more, enough to tap a pen incessantly against his lower lip, to shake his leg under the table at a coffee shop ’til he earns glares from strangers, to turn a styrofoam coffee cup around and around and around in his hands. He stares at the dark brown circle it makes like there’s something important inscribed there. He wishes he could smoke, but that’s not allowed anymore, courtesy of the state of California. He remembers back when he first started coming to these meetings, the blueish haze that used to hang in the air, offering up the illusion of obfuscation. He wants that more than ever now, just when he can’t have it. To not be noticed. 

There’s a flurry of motion towards the front of the room, the scrape and whine of metal folding chairs cajoled into movement. Somebody’s getting up and heading for the podium, and Zach looks up from his coffee expectantly. Hmm, Zach thinks. You’re new. 

The guy’s young, around Zach’s age by the looks of it. Light brown hair, fit, pretty. Definitely an actor; he’s shifting next to the stage like he’s about to get called back for round two of auditions for a gig he needs but isn’t sure he really wants. Zach guesses he gets it. NA is like…the Immodium commercial of things to do with your Saturday night, and this guy’s up for Diarrhea Sufferer #1. 

“Um, hi,” the guy says, finally looking up at the audience. He’s fidgeting too, wiping his hands off on his jeans, and hell if it doesn’t take Zach right back to the first time he did this. He was pretty sure he’d rather be nodding to death in a gross back alley somewhere than standing in front of an assembly of his fellow fuckups, getting ready to admit just how far the mighty had fallen. 

“Hi,” the guy says again. He swallows. “I’m, uh, I’m Chris, and I’m a cocaine addict.” 

Zach smiles in spite of himself. “Hi, Chris,” he says in chorus.


	2. Prompt: Meeting on a train ride AU

July 2001

Zach shoves his sunglasses tighter against his face and whimpers at the sliver of sunlight that still manages to peek in. It’s so early, too early, and every cell in his body wants to still be asleep right now, but he’s got it on good authority that his ass is getting fired if he’s not on time to work tonight. He lost enough points with management for taking yesterday off without hammering the very last nail into the coffin. He stretches out on the seat, feet encroaching on the empty seat next to him, and rests his head on a folded arm. 

It was so totally worth it, he thinks. He thinks about what Neil said when Zach asked him if he should try to go see the show. Zach, Meryl Streep will always be worth it. Truer words, Zach thinks, were never spoken. 

What probably wasn’t worth it was getting drunk and wandering around the city half the night instead of sleeping at a hostel like he’d planned, but Zach can’t change the past. Plus, he’d spent all his hostel money on PBR. Which…yeah, that hadn’t been a great idea, a fact his stomach is reminding him of right now. He whimpers faintly and shuts his eyes, and lets the motion of the train lull him into a dreamless sleep. 

***

“Hey,” says a voice. “Hey, can I sit here?” Someone nudges Zach’s foot and he opens his eyes to see a figure standing over him looking decidedly awkward. “Sorry to wake you up, but the rest of the car’s full.” 

“No problem. Lemme just…” 

Zach uncoils from his sleeping position and takes off his sunglasses. They feel like they’ve etched a permanent line across the bridge of his nose. He rubs his eyes and looks up at the person who’s displaced him. His stomach flip flops precipitously. Oh no, he’s cute. He’s cute and I’m…a greasy, hungover mess. He runs his fingers through his hair reflexively and wonders if there’s a way he can check himself for pit stank without being totally obvious. But shit, the guy’s still waiting to sit down. 

Zach moves his backpack over and pushes the arm rest back down so it’s dividing the two seats again. “Here,” he says. “Sorry.” 

The guy relieves himself of his own bag and sits down next to Zach. “Chris,” he says, holding out a hand. Zach looks askance at it, probably for a beat too long because Chris’s face falls and the hand starts to withdraw. 

“Sorry, man,” Chris says. “I’ll leave you alone. I usually hate talking on trains and planes and stuff too.” 

“No!” Zach says. “That’s not…I’m just kind of out of it right now, man. I just woke up and I had kind of a crazy night last night. So I’m…” He waves his hand around in the air between them. “Y’know.” 

Chris laughs, and Zach feels warm all over. “Yeah, I know,” he says.


End file.
